Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I have few clarification on new category of Muslims , who have come up

1.My relatives are poor & in need of help for living, but the problem is they watch movies, listen to music & doesn’t perform salah regularly, can we help these type of relatives.

2.Some poor neighbours who pray regularly , but have added lot of Bidah in their lives like the Tableej Jamat, Barlewi’s etc – can we include these type of people in Zakat donation.

3.some Muslims organizations helping poor students to learn (major focus )  Professional courses like engineer, doctor , etc , but they don’t even try to teach the fundamentals of Muslim faith like Aqeedah , Quran, Hadeeth, Can we donate these type of muslims organizations.

4.sponsering poor muslim sisters marriages especially following the above mentioned Bidah, doesn’t this mean we are promoting there activities.

Pls reply with reference to hadith & Quran.

May Allah reward you with what you deserve, ameen

Jazakallahu khair

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Answer:

Who is eligible for zakah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: My relatives are poor & in need of help for living, but the problem is they watch movies, listen to music & doesn’t perform salah regularly, can we help these type of relatives.

Your Question:….Some poor neighbours who pray regularly , but have added lot of Bidah in their lives like the Tableej Jamat, Barlewi’s etc – can we include these type of people in Zakat donation.

Your Question:…..sponsering poor muslim sisters marriages especially following the above mentioned Bidah, doesn’t this mean we are promoting there activities.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 60:

60 Alms are for the poor, and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds), for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to the Truth), for those in bondage and in debt, in the Cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Allah Subhanah has prescribed that ‘zakah’ should be paid to any of the above eight listed categories:

1. To the poor
2. To the needy
3. To those who are employed to administer the zakah funds
4. To those whose hearts have recently been reconciled to the Truth of Islam (new-muslims)
5. For those in bondage
6. For those in debt
7. In the Cause of Allah
8. To the way-farer or traveler

It is not permissible in Shariah for one to give or spend from ‘zakah’ dues on those who are directly under one’s responsibility (ie. parents, wife, children, etc.).

Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, near or far relatives, etc. do not fall under the category of those who are under one’s wards or responsibility….thus if one finds one amongst one’s own kith and kith poor or needy, because of their bond of kinship, these relatives have the biggest right that ‘zakah’ dues are spent on them.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Charity for the poor is rewarded as one good deed; but in the case of a relative it is considered as two: [one reward for helping] blood ties, and [the other reward for] the charity [itself]."

Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and at-Tirmidhi.

If one finds that one amongst their own blood relatives or kith or kin are poor and/or need funds, there is absolutely no harm in spending on them from one’s ‘zakah’ dues in Shariah.

As long as your relatives or your neighbors profess belief in Allah Subhanah, His Messengers, and the Last Day, absolutely regardless of how many shortcomings they might have in the practice of the deen, they will be considered ‘legal’ muslims in the Sight of Shariah Law; and if they are poor or needy, they would be eligible to receive ‘zakah’ from the believers.

If your relatives or neighbors are non-muslims, you may spend on them from your ‘sadaqah’ dues but not your ‘zakah’; for ‘zakah’ is only taken from the believers and can be spent only on the believers.

Your Question: ….some Muslims organizations helping poor students to learn (major focus )  Professional courses like engineer, doctor , etc , but they don’t even try to teach the fundamentals of Muslim faith like Aqeedah , Quran, Hadeeth, Can we donate these type of muslims

organizations.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 218 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The seeking of ‘ilm’ (knowledge) is obligatory for every Muslim.’

The Arabic word and term ‘ilm’ implies both, religious as well as worldly knowledge, and the seeking of both are obligatory upon the believers.

Obligatory deeds in Islamic Jurisprudence are divided into two categories:

1. ‘Fard-Ayn’ or absolutely obligatory on each and every individual.
2. ‘Fard-Kifaayah’ or partially obligatory.

For example, the offering of the five obligatory prayers, fulfilling one’s duty to one’s parents, the fasting of Ramadan, the offering of Friday Jumuah or mid-day prayers for the men, etc. are what is known as ‘fard-ayn’….these deeds are absolutely obligatory on each and every muslim, and they must do so themselves.

The offering of funeral prayers, the two Eid prayers, etc. are also ‘fard’ or obligatory…but they are what is known in Islamic Jurisprudence as ‘Fard-Kifaayah’…..if some believers fulfill this obligation, it would suffice for the whole believing Ummah; but if none of the believers fulfill this obligation, the whole believing Ummah will share in the sin.

The scholars and jurists in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that the seeking of basic Islamic Knowledge is ‘fard-ayn’ and absolutely obligatory on each and every believer; and the seeking of worldly knowledge and sciences is ‘fard-kifaayah’….it is not obligatory on every believer to seek worldly knowledge, if some amongst the believers seek this knowledge, it would suffice for the believing Ummah.

There is absolutely no harm if one spends of their charity in helping poor and needy believers gain some worldly knowledge or sciences which would enable them to earn their livelihood.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan